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'2 Sheefs-Sheet 1.

(No Modl.)

W. G. RIDGE. PIPE COUPLING FOR RAILWAY 0.111s.

No. 448,261. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

run-2 Nolmxs PETERS co, PNOTO-LITHOH msumnmn, n. c.

2 Shets-Sheet 2.

' (No Model) W. G. RIDGE.

PIPE COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

No. 448,261. Patented Mar. 1'7, 1891.

twill?" "If! XVILLIS G. RIDGE, OF NE\V HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR- OF ONE- HALF TO CLIFFORD A. I-IILDRETH, OF SAME PLACE.

PIPE-CCU PLING FOR RAILWAY=CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4:48,261, dated March 17', 1891..

Application filed January 26, 1891. Serial No. 379,065- (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern: is suspended beneath and flexibly connected Beit known that LlVILLIS G. RIDGE, of New with the car to which the member is applied Haven, in the county of New Haven and State in line with the longitudinal center thereof. of Connecticut, have invented anew Improve- The outer end of the said supporting-pipe has 5 ment in Pipe-Couplings for Railway-Cars; sleeved over it the inner end of a sleeve D,

and I do hereby declare the following, when which is provided at its outer end with two taken in connection with accompanying drawprojecting coupling-arms E and E, having ings and thelettersof reference marked therediverging tapering terminations, so that in on, to be a full, clear, and exact description of case they should happen to be exactly in line IO the same, and which said drawings constitute with the corresponding arms of the co-operpart of this specification, and represent, inating member when the cars come together Figure 1, a view in side elevation of one the arms of the two members would not enmember of a coupling device embodying my gage and break,but glance off from each other invention; Fig. 2,a similar view showing two and come together properly in position for I 5 of such members coupled together, the inner being interlocked. The said arm E is pro end of the sleeve of the coupling-head of the vided about midway of its length with atransleft-hand member being broken away; Fig. 3, Verse slot F, having its outer wall beveled, as a detached view in side elevation of so much at F while the arm E is provided near its of the coupling-head of the left-hand member inner end with a transverse tapering finger 20 as is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings; Fig. 4, F, curved to conform to the curvature of the a view in vertical transverse section on line sleeve D. a b of Fig. 2, showing the two coupling-heads For convenience of identification I shall in position for locking; Fig. 5, a similar view hereinafter refer to the arm provided with showing them after they have been rotated the slot as the slotted arm and the arm pro- 2 5 and locked; Fi 6, a broken view in vertical vided with the curved finger as the finger- 7 longitudinal section of one member, drawn 011 arm. By reference to Fig. 7 of the drawings a larger scale than in the preceding figures; it will be seen that the said arms are not 10- Fig. 7, a view in end elevation of the said cated directly opposite each other, but that member, drawn on the same scale and with the finger-armis slightly set back from the 30 its coupling-arms in section. Fig. 8 is a deposition which it would occupy if it were in S tached face view of the buffer with the packline with the slotted arm. The object of this ing'and retaining-rings removed. Fig. J is a construction is to bring the slotted arms of similar view of the retaining-ring. the respective members in line when the mem- My invention relates to an improvement in hers are coupled, as shown by Fig. 5 of the 5 coupling devices for the steam and comdrawings, so as to have the strain tending to pressedair pipes of railway-cars, the object pull the two members apart equally divided being to provide for the automatic coupling between the two slotted varms. The said and uncoupling of the said pipes in a consleeve D is provided at opposite points with struction which shall be at once simple, comtwo longitudinal slots D, having straight for- 0 pact, durable, and reliable. ward ends and offsetting rear ends, the latter XVith these ends in view my invention conextending in the same direction. These slots sists in certain details of construction and respectively receive pins A A, mounted in combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter the supporting-pipe A, and co-operating to described, and pointed out in the claims. guide the sleeve and to impart rotal move- 5 Inasmuch as the two members of my imment thereto when the same approaches the proved coupling device are alike, a descriplimit of its longitudinal inward movement. tion of one will suffice for both. This rotal movement of the sleeve may be Each is provided with a supporting-pipe A, more or less according to the particular conhaving its inner end mounted in a head B, struction of the coupling device; but as herein 5o pivotally connected with a hanger C, which shown the slots are designed to impart rotal movement to the sleeve through one-eighth of the circumference of a circle.

A spiral spring Gr, encircling the supporting-pipe Aand the innerend of the sleeve D, is interposed between the head B and a guyplate H, loosely mounted upon the sleeve and set against an annular flange D formed near the outer end thereof, the said spring exerting a constant effort to push the sleeve outward and having the additional function of aiding the coupling-arms in maintaining a steam and air tight connection between the two members of the device when they are interlocked.

For convenience I shall hereinafter refer to the sleeve and its adjuncts as the couplinghead of a coupling member.

A steam-pipe I and a concentric air-pipe J extend throughout the length of the supporting-pipe and coupling-head, with which, however, they have no positive connection. The outer ends of the said pipes are connected together by an annular flanged bufferK, which projects slightly beyond the outer end of the sleeve. This buffer is constructed with a central passage K, locatedin line wit-h the steampipe I, and with four passages K located in line with the air-pipe J, the said pipes I and J being threaded into the inner end of the buffer. A spiral spring L of few coils is interposed between the inner end of the buffer and an inwardly-projecting flange D formed in the outer end of the sleeve D, and provides a yielding cushion for the buffer, which extends sufficiently beyond the outer end of the sleeve to have a slight longitudinal movement therein and to compensate for wear, the extreme li mit of play in the buffer being represented by the space N shown in Fig. (5 of the drawings.

Two packing-rings O and P, of rubber or equivalent material, are applied to the outer face of the buffer, and are engaged by corresponding rings on the other member of the device to form a tight joint between the two coupling members. These rings are provided with inwardly-projecting flanges O and P, which fit into an annular groove Q, formed intheouter'faceof the bufferand havin gtapering walls. The said flanges are engaged for holding the rings in place by means of a retaining-ring R, having flaring edges and secured in the bottom of the said groove by means of screws R, which enter the webs S formed between the passages K in the buffer. The retaining-ring is constructed with passages R corresponding to the passages K with webs R corresponding to the webs S of the buffer, and with a central opening R corresponding to the central passages K of the buffer, whereby the ring does not interfere with the passage of steam and air from one coupling memher to the other.

The inner end of the air-pipe J is closed by means of a collar J, which encircles the steampipe I, the said air-pipe being provided with a flexible supply-pipe J connected with any ling-head's to engage with each other.

convenient source of compressed-air supply. The inner end of the steam-pipe I has a flexible connection, which is not shown, with any suitable source of steam-supply.

The outer end of each coupling member is supported by the horizontal guy-plate H, before referred to, the said plate being provided at its opposite ends with perforations H, to which yielding guys, preferably in the form of springs and not shown herein, are connected.

Having fully described my invention in detail, Iwill now proceed to set forth the mode of its operation.

One of the coupling members is applied to each end of every car. Now when two cars are brought together for coupling, the outer ends of the projecting coupling-arms of the respective coupling-heads will first pass each other and permit the buffers of the two coup- Then as the cars approach nearer the couplingheads of the respective members will be pushed back against the tension of their spiral operating-springs, and as they move back they will be rotated by the co-operation of the offsetting ends of the slots in their sleeves with the pins in the supporting-pipes of the members. As theheads are rotated the finger of the finger-arm of one head will be shot into the transverse slot of the slotted arm of the other head, and vice versa, whereby the heads of the two members are coupled together. As the coupling-heads are rotated, as described, the beveled outer walls of the transverse slots i-n'the slotted arms assist in drawing the packing-rings of the two members into closer contact, and the coupling thus established is reenforced by the operating-springs G G and the buffer-springs L L of the two members. After the described coupling of the two heads has taken place they are pushed still farther inward before the cars are coupled, and until the pins are well cleared from the offsetting portions of the slots and brought into the straight portions thereof, in which they are free to play back and forth within the limits required to accommodate the coupling thus established to those slight changes constantly occurring in the relative longitudinal positions of the cars when the same are in motion. Vhen the cars are uncoupled and separated, the said operating-springs at once push the coupling-heads outward and again bring the olfsetting ends of their slots into range with the said pins, whereby the heads are reversely rotated and uncoupled, after which they are free to separate when the cars move apart. It will thus be seen that by means of my improvement the steam and compressed-air pipes of two adjacent cars are automatically coupled and uncoupled.

The particular devices for suspending the coupling members and for connecting their steam and air'pipes with sources of steam and compressed-air supply may be varied as desired. The particular construction of the IIO couplers may also be modified. For instance,

it is not necessary that both of the couplingheads of two co-operating coupling members should be made to rotate, although it is desirable that both should rotate on account of the convenience it offers. I would therefore have it understood thatI do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coupler for the steam and compressed-air pipes of railway-cars, a supportingpipe, means for suspending the inner end thereof, a sleeve mounted upon its outer end so as to rotate when moved inward upon the same and provided at its outer end with two couplingarms having diverging tapering ends, one being provided with a transverse slot and the other with a transverse finger, a steam-pipe extending throughout thelength of the said operating-pipe and sleeve, an airpipe concentric with the steam-pipe,a buffer connecting the outer ends of the steam and air pipes and projecting beyond the outer end of the sleeve, and steam and air connections with the inner ends of the steam and air pipes, substantially as described.

2. In a coupler forthe steam and com pressedair pipes of railWay-cars,a supporting-pipe, a sleeve mounted upon the outer end thereof and provided with longitudinal slots, pins mounted in the pipe and entering the said slots, which are shaped to co-operate with the pins in causing the sleeve to rotate, and two coupling-arms projecting from the outer end of the sleeve and having tapering extremities, one of the said arms being provided with a transverse slot and the other with a trans verse finger, substantially as described.

3. In a coupler for the steam and compressedair pipes of railway-cars, the combination, with a pipe and a sleeve rotally and longitudinally movable thereupon and provided at its outer ends with two projecting couplingarms having diverging tapering ends and respectively constructed with a transverse slot and provided with a transverse finger, of yielding supports for the said pipe and sleeve, concentric steam and air pipes located within the sleeve and supporting-pipe, and an annular bu'ffer connectingthe outer ends of the steam and air pipes, projecting beyond the outer end of the sleeve, and provided upon its outer face with packing-rin gs, substantially as described.

4, In a coupler for the steam and compressedair pipes of railway-cars, the combination, with a pipe and a rotal and reciprocal sleeve mounted thereupon and provided at its outer end with two projecting coupling-arms, of concentric steam and air pipes extending throughout the length of the said pipe and sleeve, a flanged annular buffer connecting the outer ends of the pipes, projecting beyond the outer end of the sleeve, constructed with passages in line with the said pipes, and provided with packing-rings applied to its outer face, and a spring combined with the sleeve and buffer and located within the former for providing a yielding bearing for the latter, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a supporting-pipe and a rotal and reciprocal sleeve mounted thereupon and having two projecting coupling-arms, of concentric steam and air pipes located within the said pipe and sleeve, an annular buffer connecting the outer ends of the steam and air pipes and having openings in line with the same, an annular groove which is formed in its outer face, two concentric packing-rings applied to the face of the buffer and having flanges which enter the said groove, and a flaring retainingring having passages in line with the said steam and air pipes located in the groove for holding the flanges of the packing ring therein, substantially as described.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination, with two coupling members, each having a supporting-sleeve, and a rotal and reciprocalcoupling-head, of concentric steam and air pipes located within the said pipe and head, a buffer projecting beyond the head and connecting the outer ends of the pipes, and means for supporting the said member so that they will yield to the relative movements of the cars to which they are applied, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\YILLIS G. RID GE.

\Vitnesses:

C. A. HILDRETH, GEO. O. SEYMOUR. 

